Proconsul Gallio

A proconsul was the governor of a Roman senatorial province, holding a position equivalent to a prefect or governor. At that time, the proconsul of Corinth, Gallio (Junius Gallio), was the brother of the Stoic philosopher Seneca, who was also the private tutor to Emperor Nero. Gallio was known as a just and calm man who took a laissez-faire attitude toward religion; as long as it didn’t interfere with politics, he wouldn’t get involved. Gallio considered the Jews’ accusations against Paul to be merely a religious dispute and not a violation of Roman law, so he refused to hear the case. Gallio’s judgment later became a precedent used by governors and proconsuls everywhere, which served as great protection for the church during the 50s and 60s AD.

Historically, the account of Proconsul Gallio in Acts 18:11-16 was not supported by other sources and was a popular topic for biblical critics to question Luke’s accuracy for centuries. However, the discovery of the Gallio Inscription in Delphi, Greece, in 1905 proved that Gallio served as the proconsul of Achaia in 51-52 AD. This discovery became the most important marker for dating Paul’s arrival in Corinth and the writing of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.